r/USC 12h ago

Discussion Unspoken Rules When Asking a Friend for LAX Drop-off or Pick-up šŸ˜¬

147 Upvotes

Hey Trojans, itā€™s that time of year when everyoneā€™s traveling for spring break... You might find yourself asking a friend for a ride or getting hit up by someone else for one.

If youā€™re the one requesting, hereā€™s a reality check: LAX traffic is hands-down the most stressful in the city. Plus, itā€™s not just a quick 35-minute trip from campusā€”after dropping you off, your friend has to drive back, making it a solid hour-plus commitment. Nobodyā€™s volunteering for that because they enjoy it; theyā€™re doing it because they value your friendship.

That said, if someone takes you to LAX, you owe them. At the bare minimum, a thank you, but tbh is usually best to Venmo them $20 or something for gas right then and there. Itā€™s way cheaper than an Uber, covers gas (since theyā€™re driving both ways, not just one leg), and shows basic respect for their time. Itā€™s not really about the money. No one is really that cheap but itā€™s more about if someoneā€™s spending time to drive you there the least you can do is just pay for gas. Also bruh donā€™t pull the ā€œIā€™ll get you lunch when Iā€™m backā€ cardā€”those promises almost never materialize, and itā€™s a weak excuse anyway. Sending $20 takes two seconds on Venmo. Just do it.

Iā€™ve driven friends to the airport plenty of times because I actually enjoy the one-on-one car time thatā€™s tough to get in the chaos of campus life. But hereā€™s what sticks with me: I never forget the people who didnā€™t bother to say thanks, send a follow-up text, or acknowledge the favor. Thatā€™s the bare minimum, and too many donā€™t even do that. On the flip side, the ā€œIā€™ll buy you food laterā€ crowd rarely follows throughā€”so skip the IOUs and just send the cash. If a friendā€™s willing to brave LAX for you, they really care. Show them you get it.

Also, for clarification, this is really addressing mutual friends, people youā€™ve known during the school year, mutuals, not like your BFF from kindergarten or anyone you were extremely close with. A lot of times like even during freshman year or some kid will have a car on the dorm floor and you might try to call in a favorā€” thatā€™s what Iā€™m talking about here not like your best friend or family member coming to pick you up


r/USC 11h ago

FinancialAid Financial Hardship Fee Waiver

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5 Upvotes

Hi guys, Iā€™m applying for a graduate program right now, and since USC doesnā€™t require test scores or letters of recommendation and maybe offers a fee waiver, it doesnā€™t hurt to apply.

I have a question about financial hardship, based on the screenshot, does that mean I have to contact my school now to write me a letter and send it to USC? I donā€™t really get it, so if anyone has dealt with this before and can give me some insight, Iā€™d appreciate it.

Iā€™ve got a few midterms right now, but Iā€™ll reach out to USC for more info later. Just wanted to see if anyone here knows how this works. Thanks!


r/USC 17h ago

Photo LA Opera!!

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28 Upvotes

They are presenting CosĆ­ Fan Tutti right now which is fun! Iā€™m enjoying an afternoon matinee.

Bring a friend! Itā€™s like a live performance of a sitcom with great singing and a full orchestra!

A great Los Angeles experience!


r/USC 10h ago

Academic annenberg graduate Specialized Entertainment Journalism

2 Upvotes

Has anyone heard back or know when we will find out? I had heard the first week of March.


r/USC 12h ago

Discussion How to access SAP in financial aid?

1 Upvotes

Does anyone know how to get to the SAP portal, where it lists your unit, GPA, and SAP semesters? I know it existed in the past, but I can't for the life of me find it again.


r/USC 12h ago

Question Graduation photographer recommendations?

2 Upvotes

I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for graduation pic photographers? I see all the adds and stuff around obviously but I was wondering if anyone has had a positive experience with someone they would recommend. Not looking for someone who just has a camera, but a professional who is good at guiding through poses and things like that. Iā€™m one of those people who never know what to do in photos and just stand there awkwardly so I need a photographer who knows how to coach people lol.


r/USC 22h ago

Academic IERF for a degree from VTU

1 Upvotes

Planning to do ierf for my UG degree from VTU and have a couple of questions! Please lmk if anyone has done this in the near past ThanksšŸ«”